The Buckeyes knew what they had to do, and the packed house in Value City Arena reminded them when they took the court for warm-ups. The atmosphere was electric, and adding to the drama was the fact it was Senior Night.
Several Buckeye seniors shed tears when announced at mid-court before the game, reassuring the fans it would be an emotional tough fought game. Among those seniors was Mark Titus, whose Club Trillion T shirt sales raised over $25,000 for A Kid Again charity this week.
Once the game started it was all business on the Buckeyes end, they jumped out to another quick start taking a 37-33 lead into the half. It was still a close game until OSU went on a 12-0 run in the second and broke the game wide open. Illinois couldn’t recover and was outscored 36-24 in the second half.
Mike Tisdale fouled out midway in the second half with 10 points, ending any chance at a come back for the Illini. Only two other players had double figures for Illinois, Demetri McCamey, and Brandon Paul.
McCamey had a team high 18 points and seven assists. Paul finished with 11 points, going 5-13 from the field. Illinois shot 37 percent from the field and 30 percent from behind the arc.
Ohio State’s starters once again got the job done with out much from the bench. Every started but Dallas Lauderdale finished with double figures in scoring on the day.
David Lighty stepped up after a dismal performance last weekend with 15 points and five rebounds. He atoned from his horrendous free throw showing against Michigan by going 6-8 on the night.
Evan Turner struggled most of the night but still found a way to get 16 points and 12 rebounds. He earned his seventh Player of the Week honors last weekend, and looks to be well on his way to number eight. He may have sealed the Player of the Year trophy as well.
William Buford continues to be a huge part of the buckeyes offensive game plan. His ability to stretch the court leads to break away points not only for him but also his teammates. His 17 points and seven rebounds kept OSU in control in the second half.
The story of the night was Jon Diebler. He finished with a game high 21 points, and for the first time this season got to leave a game early to a standing ovation. He went 7-14 from beyond the arc, and started out 4-4 early in the first half.Diebler’s hot hand will be a valuable weapon for the Buckeyes in both the Big Ten tournament and the NCAA tournament.
Ohio State (24-7) will be the first seed in the Big Ten tournament, and have finished the regular season. The Buckeyes still have an outside shot as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, but a No. 2 seed seems much more likely. A No. 2 seed may give them just as easy a road to the Final Four without the pressure a No. 1 seed brings to the table.
Right now though, no one in Columbus is worried about that. Tonight it’s all about another Big Ten Championship, the third during Thad Matta’s tenure at Ohio State.
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